Complicated Webs
by Sid Vicious 09
Summary: Draco is back, and Hermione couldn't be happier. The war is over and they can finally be together, or can they? Sequel to Blurred Lines.
1. Reunions and First Meetings

**Hi everyone! I'm back, and with the sequel I know many of you have been waiting for. It's taken a long time, and I am sorry. But I hope you like it. Please Rate&Review. It means a lot to me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the plot, or anything to do with the Harry Potter universe. Please accept this disclaimer for the whole story. I don't want to own anything. I just do this for fun. **

The crooked streets of Diagon Alley were filled with the buzz and hum of new and returning students. Walking peacefully down the crowded lane, Hermione Granger made her way to the tiny bookshop at the end of the alley.

Nestled between a parchment store and the apothecary, Hermione was always filled with a warm sensation in her chest whenever the store came into view. The dream of owning her own bookstore had always been in the back of her mind, and after the stressful years of the war, it was just what she had needed to cope with the losses and sudden lift of anxiety.

She unlocked the door and went about setting out the most common textbooks, which she knew would be in high demand for the new school year.

She set about straightening the shelves and listened as the bell above the door rang.

"Hello." she called out.

A young mother and her even younger son stood in the middle of the walk way, looking both scared and excited.

"First year?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. We've never done this before. But my son Jordan is very excited to be starting school. I only wish his father could have been here to see it." the mother said.

"Your husband was in the war?" Hermione asked politely.

"He was at the Battle of Twisted Wands!" the boy proudly spoke up.

Hermione nodded, and smiled at the boy's devotion to his father. She went around the store helping the new student as older students arrived. The store was a flurry of activity as Hermione helped dozens of children and teenagers to find their books.

Late in the afternoon the store died down, and Hermione was free to clean up the shelves. This was her favorite part, knowing that the books needed to be tidied because someone had been looking at them. She was working in the back of the store when she heard the bell ring once more.

"Hello." she called out.

There was no answer. Hermione started making her way to the front of the store but stopped when she saw someone on the other side of the bookshelf. She looked through the books and met a pair of blue eyes.

A small fountain of hope began to rise in her chest, the same fountain that began every time she saw that particular shade of blue. She lifted her eyes to look for the telltale blond hair, but the color was a rich brown.

She felt her spirits drop. Hermione had looked for him everywhere, hoping that one day he would return. The war was over now, and she had not seen his name on any of the Death Lists that were in circulation. She began walking around the bookshelf when she heard her name.

"Hermione."

Hermione looked up into those cloudy blue eyes, and knew it was him. He looked different now; older, but still handsome. The small fountain of hope burst and a flood of emotions tore through her chest. She threw herself into his arms.

"Draco."

Hermione could not believe that after all this time, he had simply strolled into her bookstore, so calmly. So matter of fact. She wanted to hit him, and kiss him, and yell at him, and pinch him just to see if he was real.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

He just laughed and told her that she would have to wait to hear that story. He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his face to kiss when he saw it.

A pretty little diamond ring on her finger, the finger right between her middle finger and her pinky.

He raised his eyes to hers and saw her smile falter.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"You were always saying that, if I recall correctly. So, when did u tie the knot?"

"A year ago. We met in school, fell in love. I thought you were dead." she explained.

"No, don't worry about it. I told you not to wait for me. And I meant it. I'm glad that you're happy."

"Oh, Draco. I thought I was happy. But I also thought you were dead. I don't know how I feel anymore."

He looked into her eyes, and could the pools of tears gathering in her sight. He pulled her into his body and hugged her.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know. When do you get off work?"

"Why?"

"So I can take you to dinner, and we can talk about it then." he said.

"Now. I get off work right now."

Hermione walked to the front desk and gathered her belongings and followed Draco out the front door. She locked the store up, and they apparated together to a nearby restaurant.

Hermione couldn't help but watch Draco as they waited to be seated. From the way he looked over his shoulder every now and then to the new scars on his hands. She could tell that he had been in a very bad situation since he had left Hogwarts.

Hermione knew the stories of the terrifying battles that had been fought all over the world. She knew that a lot of Aurors had gone undercover to try to leak information the ministry. Hermione had known several Aurors who had lost their lives while undercover. The dangers that presented themselves had been too great to allow Ron to go undercover. And Hermione knew how useless he had felt not being able to do that part of the job. However, seeing how skittish and cautious Draco now was made Hermione glad that her best friend was spared.

She reached out and took a hold of Draco's hand, feeling him immediately relax with her gesture. They were finally seated and waited for a waiter to get their drink orders before they began to talk.

Hermione looked over the rim of her glass to the man before her. For surely he was a man now, having lost all the innocence his face had had back in Hogwarts. They hadn't spoken to each other since leaving the bookstore.

"Draco. Where have you been?" she asked.

"I've been working." He said. Like he had gone off to become a lawyer or a dentist.

" The day I left I followed your advice. I went to Dumbledore and asked him for help. I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want you to put you in danger. I've been working behind the scenes during the entire war. And now that it's all finally over I've been released from duty."

"Draco. The war ended a year and a half ago. What have you been doing since then?"

"I was in deep Hermione. I wasn't straddling the line Hermione. I crossed it, running head first into what I can only describe as the darkest nightmare I've ever been witness to. I didn't know if I could face you. I felt sure that you would sense some horrible change in me and never want to speak to me again."

She shook her head and reached for his hand. She felt tears welling in her eyes at the terrible things he must have seen. Draco was raised in the Malfoy Manor, and had seen things that most Aurors would never see before he even left for Hogwarts. The horrors of the war were far worse than the reporters had said.

"How could you think that? I loved you Draco. I never stopped loving you. I would have understood if you were different. Why did you wait so long?"

"I had things that needed to get sorted out Hermione. I lived in the inner circle of trust for well over five years. I had an entire life to break down and clean up. I didn't want to see you until I knew that my past wouldn't come back."

Hermione noticed Draco's eyes focus on something behind her. She turned in her chair and saw her husband standing behind her.

"Hello dear. Who's this?" he asked.

"Jason, this is Draco Malfoy. We went to school together. Draco, this is my husband Jason Miles." Hermione introduced the two men.

"Apparently I forgot to take your own past into consideration, Hermione." Draco replied.


	2. Arguments and Breakfast

**I don't want to leave too many A/N's so I will try to keep them short. I hope you liked the first chapter, as well as this one that you are about to read. Thank you for coming back and reading more! Remember: Read&Review! Enjoy!**

"So this is your husband?" Draco said, shaking Jason's hand.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are. Have we met before?" Jason asked.

"No honey. I haven't seen Draco since he left Hogwarts. That was, what, six years ago?"

"So did you just get into town Derek?"

"Draco. And yes, I thought I would stop by and say hello to an old friend."

Hermione could feel the tension rolling off her husband. He was uncomfortable with having an attractive wife, and couldn't stand the thought of his wife out for dinner with an old friend. Particularly a male friend.

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt. However, Hermione and I must be going. We have family coming in tomorrow and we have to get the house ready. It was nice to meet you Dylan."

Jason grabbed Hermione's elbow and lifted her out of the chair. Draco had to stop himself from jumping up and punching Jason in the face.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione mouthed as she allowed Jason to pull her out of the restaurant.

Draco was left with a half empty glass of water and a fully empty feeling in his heart. After risking his life for years, he had allowed the one woman he had ever loved to walk out of his life. He shoved himself away from the table, dropped some money on the table, and left the building.

Back at the Mile's house, Hermione was becoming more and more frustrated with her husband.

"Who the hell was that? I can stand to be a lot of things Hermione, but damn it! I will not be made a fool. How dare you go out to dinner with another man! You made me look like a fucking idiot! How the hell am I supposed to explain this to people?"

"What are you talking about?" she spat at him.

"What am I supposed to say when they ask about your affair? Am I supposed to play dumb? Tell them we are working through it? I can't believe you would go about this in such an obvious manner. I thought you were supposed to be smart?" He yelled at her.

"You think I am having an affair? With Draco?" she asked.

He looked at her pointedly.

"I haven't seen Draco for six years. I told you that. I wasn't lying. Merlin, you are an idiot. You think I would have an affair? Draco has been undercover in the war this whole time. I thought he was dead. But you wouldn't know anything about him now would you? You didn't even stop to ask any questions about him. You just made your assumptions and made yourself look like an asshole while you were at it. Don't talk to me tonight." Hermione said as she threw up her arms in frustration.

She walked out of the living room, shaking with anger at her husband's stupidity. She didn't realize how quick he would revert back to his jealous ways.

When they had been in college, Hermione had known how Jason could get about other guys. Cauldron partners, study group members, even the cafeteria workers who smiled at her felt Jason's cold shoulder. She had thought getting married would have changed that. She had committed herself to him, but apparently he couldn't let old habits die.

She slammed the bedroom door closed. He could figure out where to sleep on his own. She lay back on the bed, and though about Draco. She had to write to him, know that he had actually come home. She pulled out some parchment and wrote a quick note. She told him to meet her tomorrow morning at a local café so they could continue their talk. She let her owl, Henrietta, take the note out the window and curled up to sleep.

Draco leaned against a building. It had started to drizzle, and the overhang provided some reprieve as he contemplated where he was going to stay for the night. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting or when he would see her next, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed at their first meeting.

He pushed himself away from the wall as an owl flew in front of him, dropping a note at his feet. He picked it up and read Hermione's note. She was sorry about her husband's irrationality, and wanted to see him again. Draco couldn't help but smile at her clipped tone when she talked about Jason, and the way she said she couldn't wait to see him again.

Draco apparated to a local hotel and booked a room. He took a hot shower, feeling the water run over his tired body, and crawled into bed hopeful about the morning.

The sun was shining through the window, casting a yellow glow on the sleeping man. Draco winced as he opened his eyes, and rolled over to cover his face. It had been a long time since he had slept through the night. The Dark Lord had been oddly nocturnal during the war, and Draco had been forced to change his sleep patterns while he worked for him.

Suddenly the thought of Hermione flashed through Draco's mind, and he jumped up to get ready to meet her. He quickly showered and dressed, and went down to the front desk to ask for directions. The loud _pop!_ of apparition sounded in the lobby, and Draco found himself in front of a simple diner. He went in and got a table and waited for what he hoped would be the best breakfast he had had in a long time.

Hermione had always loved the sound of high heels on hard wood floor, but today she was wary of her husband's anger if he heard her leave. She had her hand on the door knob when she heard his cough behind her.

"Where do you think you are going? No, don't tell me. You're off to meet him somewhere, right?" Jason asked.

Hermione let out a sigh and let her head drop.

"Jason, I don't want to fight. You can't stop me from having friends."

"I don't stop you. You go out with plenty of friends, and I never say anything. Go shopping with Marie, or go for a drive with Lizbeth. But I forbid you from having breakfast with that man. He's dangerous Hermione. I don't have to know him to see that."

Jason reached out and took a hold of Hermione's elbow. He tried to pull her away from the door, but Hermione jerked her arm out of his hold. She raised her head and met his eyes.

"Don't ever tell me what I can and can't do. You should know better than that by now Jason. I've put up with lots of shit from you, don't think I've forgotten about that little tart Lucy, but I told you nothing is going on between us. I don't care if you believe me or not."

Hermione could see the anger rise in Jason, but she didn't care. She still loved Draco too much to allow this man to come between them.

With a turn and a _pop! _Hermione apparated to the entrance of the diner. She smiled at Draco when she saw him seated at a table in the back.

"Good morning!" she greeted him.

"Good morning, or is it?" he asked.

"It is now. Thank you for meeting me again. I can't believe Jason acted like that last night. I was so embarrassed."

"Don't worry about it. I would be jealous too if I saw my wife talking to someone as handsome as myself. Especially if my wife were as beautiful as you."

Hermione felt herself blush. They had loved each other for years, but the lack of interaction between them made every compliment new and reminded Hermione of being a young girl again.

"So we talked about what I've been up to for the past few years. What about yourself?" Draco asked.

"Well, after Hogwarts I went to college. I was lucky and attended a new hybrid school. It was traditionally a muggle college, but a few witches and wizards had been hired and so they taught magical courses. It was a nice change of pace from Hogwarts. I didn't date much, the occasional dinner or theatre show. And then I met Jason."

"And fell madly in love and got married right?"

Hermione could see the vulnerability that Draco was trying to hide. She could see the pain he felt from being away from her for so long.

"Not exactly. I thought he was a jerk. I didn't really want to date him, but somehow he convinced me. I got to know him, and I thought he was ok. He was smart, nice, and he was dedicated to his job. We dated our entire senior year, and then we got married. Not because we were in love, but because it was what was expected. My family and his had been hinting at it for some time and so we had a little ceremony."

"So you don't love him?"

"I don't think I ever loved him. He was just the best guy I had dated. I guess we had hoped that we would learn to love each other. But we ended up hating each other." Hermione said.

"So why didn't you divorce?" He asked, hesitant of the response.

"I got pregnant. It came as a shock to both of us, so we decided to stay together. The same week I learned he had been sleeping with a secretary, and that she was pregnant too. I was ready to leave him right then, we were making the arrangements when I lost the baby. Jason could stand the thought of leaving me after something like that. The girl wanted money to keep quiet, but I told her to tell every soul she met. I didn't care. I'm not sure why we stated together after that. I guess it was just easier to be married to him than single again."

She smiled at him, and couldn't help but feel her heart break. She wished with all her heart she had divorced Jason when she had had the chance. He would never let her go now. She watched as Draco reached over and took her hand.

"I hope you still have room in your heart for me." He said with a smile on his face.

"Draco, you are and always have been the sole owner of my heart."

"Then what are we going to do?" He asked.

"We'll figure it out."

At that moment a tall man in a dark cloak burst through the diner door. He pointed his wand straight at Draco.

"Malfoy. Long time no see old friend."

Hermione gave Draco a puzzled look, "Who's that?" she asked.

"A very bad sign." He replied.


End file.
